novelSusiti Chapter 14 The Steward—A Skillful Distributor
Chapter 14 The Steward—A Skillful Distributor
A deafening commotion of gongs and drums, and colorful flags waving in the wind—of course, that's impossible.
Li Xuan's courtyard was filled with joy. Two rows of newly built side rooms, constructed after last autumn's harvest, stood neatly on either side of the courtyard. The newly renovated and larger kitchen emitted an enticing aroma of roast goose and duck soup.
Today marks the founding day of Li Xuan's troop. A while ago, after returning from Guangling City, Li Xuan approached Li Yuantu to discuss expanding his troop. Given Li Xuan's extravagant purchase of "green salt" worth a thousand strings of cash this year, Li Yuantu also became quite anxious.
After calculation, Li Yuantu suggested that he recruit three more children from impoverished families within the Li clan. For poor families, the age of fourteen or fifteen is the most awkward time for a young boy to live a life of poverty; taking him in and nurturing him at this age would help improve Li Xuan's reputation in the village.
The Li clan members had several advantages over others. Firstly, most had received some education and were literate. Secondly, clan members were unlikely to betray each other, ensuring their loyalty. As for their lack of martial arts skills, that was not a problem; with Li Yuantu around, they could become proficient within a year, and a qualified warrior in two or three years.
With Li Yuantu's support, Li Xuan quickly sought out clan elders as intermediaries to recruit three clan members from impoverished families as his retainers.
The smell of tung oil from the newly made large table in the main room had not yet dissipated. Six boys, around fourteen or fifteen years old, stood neatly and cheerfully to one side of the table, awaiting Li Xuan's instructions.
Li Xuan looked at everyone, unsure of what to say, but six pairs of bright eyes were fixed on him.
Li Xuan thought for a moment and decided to get down to business. "Some of you know what I do, and some don't. If there were no risk, I wouldn't have spent so much money to gather you all here. Now that you're here, you're my brothers. Let's not play games; each of you will receive four sets of clothes. After we eat, I'll take you to get cloth and find some of the village aunties to take your measurements and make you clothes. Follow me, and you'll definitely have food to eat, money to receive, and good clothes to wear!"
Sure enough, nice clothes are the most attractive. Whether they are children from wealthy families or poor families, having a new set of clothes is a great surprise in these days. Normally, clothes in the family are rotated and worn, and by the time they get their turn, they have been passed around several times. How could they have received four sets at once? Fortunately, this time they were going to visit their new employer, so their families specially found fabric to make a set of clothes. Each of the young men was wearing a brand-new outfit for the first time.
Li Xuan continued, "With me, there are always four sets of spring clothes, four sets of summer clothes, four sets of autumn clothes, and four sets of winter clothes. I will never let any of you brothers lack food or clothing, or lose face. Some of you are skilled in martial arts but illiterate. Some of you are literate but not very skilled in martial arts. That's alright. For those who are not skilled in martial arts, Uncle Yuantu will train you. For those who are illiterate, I will teach you little by little. As long as you follow me, in three years, everyone will be a good man who can both read and fight. Alright, there's no point in saying any more. Do you have any questions? If not, let's eat."
The six young men were, in order, Wang Xianqing, Pan Desan, and Fang Youfu, descendants of the Black Cloud Longsword Capital; and Li Tan, Li Keshuang, and Li Xiang, descendants of the Li family clan. Each of them was robust and spirited. Wang Xianqing was the boldest and most impulsive, actually asking, "Master, aren't we just here to be soldiers? Why do we need to be literate?"
Li Xuan wasn't offended and said with a smile, "You're satisfied with just being able to fight? How much money can you earn as a guard? I'm counting on you to learn both literary and martial arts so you can lead caravans and become managers in the future."
Fourteen or fifteen-year-olds are at a delicate age. They already know right from wrong and understand the hardships of life, but they haven't been severely beaten by society yet, so they readily accept any promises made by their superiors.
Li Xuan said he wanted to train them to be managers so they could lead more people in the future. This prospect sounded incredibly appealing. Right in front of Li Xuan, the six boys beamed with delight, their front teeth practically showing.
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In the kitchen, a whole roasted goose was piled up in a large pot, another large pot contained a whole duck for soup, and a large bowl of millet rice was covered with a layer of cured meat that had been steamed along with it.
Regardless of their wealth, the friends carefully carried plates of hearty dishes from the kitchen to the large table in the living room, exchanging surprised glances: "Good heavens, this is Chinese New Year!"
"This is amazing! Today is so amazing! We didn't even have this much food during Chinese New Year!"
"Oh, if I could have this three-cent meal every day from now on, I'd work my ass off to the death for my employer."
"Even a two-point score can be earned by risking one's life."
"I just need some oil in my rice."
"It's still better than carrying bags at the docks."
Soon, Li Xuan and Li Yuantu came over from the kitchen carrying everyone's rice bowls (real rice bowls) (Li Chang had taken Li Ji to school).
Upon seeing their employer and Li Yuantu arrive, the children quieted down. At Li Yuantu's signal, Li Xuan distributed rice bowls to each child. Each person who received a bowl said, "Thank you for the meal, employer."
Once seated in the main seat, the main event began with the distribution of food. This was a right of the ruler, referred to in ancient times as "serving the emperor."
Li Xuan first served Li Yuantu a bowl of rice and cured meat. Li Yuantu repeatedly declined, but Li Xuan firmly insisted that it was the right thing to do. Li Yuantu had no choice but to accept the first bowl of rice. After distributing Li Yuantu's portion, Li Xuan looked at the others who were waiting expectantly. Li Xuan smiled and said, "Let's start with Fang Youfu, the youngest."
According to current custom, food should be distributed first to the eldest brother, and then the eldest brother should distribute it according to the closeness of the relationship, with those who are later receiving less, and some even receiving nothing at all. However, Li Xuan did the opposite of usual. He simply distributed the food according to age from youngest to oldest, and the last person in line was not the oldest Wang Xianqing, but Li Xuan himself.
Fang Youfu was moved to tears. He had initially thought that since three of the six people were from the Li family, and he was young and not related to Li Xuan, he would probably be the one who suffered the most in the future. Unexpectedly, during the first meal distribution, Li Xuan did not discriminate against him because of his age, but instead placed him after Li Yuantu.
Wang Xianqing and the others were also deeply moved, and they wept uncontrollably along with Fang Youfu. Li Xuan, being the master of the household, surprised everyone by letting his servants eat first while he ate last.
These people hadn't read the biography of General Li in the Records of the Grand Historian, so they naturally didn't know how old this tactic was. But a tactic is a tactic, not because it's old, but because it works. With General Li's spirit in heaven protecting him, Li Xuan gained everyone's approval and support with just one meal distribution.
Despite the touching moment, everyone ate with gusto. The goose and duck were devoured clean, and the plates were scraped so clean they didn't need washing. Even the large bowl of boiled radish, meant as a side dish, was eaten clean with dipping sauce. Pouring the dipping sauce over millet rice seemed to bring happiness, even just a little extra flavor.
After lunch, the children conscientiously cleaned up their dishes and utensils. Li Xuan assigned some children to wash the dishes and others to wipe the tables and clean up.
After everything was settled, Li Xuan led everyone to the stable. The stable was no longer what it used to be; previously, it only had Li Xuan's two horses. Now, the three old brothers from Li Yuantu's family had sent three fine horses that were almost fully grown. These horses had been cared for by Wang Xianqing and the other two since they were foals, and they all greeted their owners affectionately when they saw them coming.
Li Tan, Li Keshuang, and Li Xiang were all from poor families. They couldn't even afford to keep mice, let alone large livestock. They watched Wang Xianqing and the others interacting with the horses with great envy.
Li Xuan laughed and said, "Don't worry, don't worry, we have them all." He then led the three of them to the other side of the stable, where three foals were already waiting for them.
Li Tan and the other two looked at Li Xuan with surprise and delight. Li Xuan nodded and said, "These are bean cakes. Each of you take one and feed it to the foal. From now on, the foal will be your life."
Li Tan, Li Keshuang, and Li Xiang nodded excitedly, took out soybean cakes made from a mixture of soybean residue and hay from their baskets, and carefully entered the stable. Under the uneasy gaze of the foals, they quietly sorted out their targets, and then, following the villagers' cattle-herding methods, slowly approached the foals, gently feeding them, and showering them with sweet words: "Come with me, and I will treat you well with all my heart."
Horses are very intelligent animals. After several interactions, they roughly understood that the person in front of them would take care of them in the future, and soon responded warmly to the caresses.
Knights were never an easy and carefree type of soldier; every cavalryman's first lesson was in the stable.
After claiming their horses, Li Tan and the other two followed Li Xuan to collect their equipment: lances, spears, bows, shields, and broadswords. This equipment wasn't just for fun; from today onward, their daily routine would be caring for their horses and maintaining their gear. As for when they would begin practicing martial arts, Li Yuantu would lead the training.
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Looking at the soldiers and their families busy with spring plowing in the fields of Xuyi, Li Jue was filled with emotion. These past few months have truly been tough.
After ascending the throne, the current emperor of Yu was ambitious and determined to establish an unparalleled legacy. He accepted the advice of his ministers, increased troop deployments in the Huai River region, built more defensive fortifications, and waited patiently for the opportunity to launch a northern expedition.
In order to prepare for the future Northern Expedition, the emperor ordered the full implementation of military farming in the Huaihe River region last October, so as to accumulate food and supplies for future military operations.
Historically, moving land has always been extremely risky.
Firstly, the establishment of military settlements inevitably leads to disputes with local authorities, and may even result in scandals such as the encroachment on farmland.
Secondly, the lower-ranking military officers were illiterate, did not understand mathematics, and did not care about the law, making it extremely difficult to get them to be satisfied with the land reclamation program.
Thirdly, there's the problem with the military-agricultural colonies themselves. The emperor of Yu only considered the substantial profits they would bring, forgetting that in chaotic times, soldiers are not exactly honest people. Not only do they have to fight for the emperor, but they also have to farm, and the land they farm actually belongs to the court, with most of the harvest not being their own. Who would be willing to do that?
The court's inhumane policies led to unrest in the military settlements of Lianghuai. The Yu Kingdom court hesitated between suppression and appeasement, and only knew to send letters to the garrison commanders and military governors of Lianghuai to find a solution.
When Li Jue first entered the garrison, he had little background. Just then, the Xuyi army caused trouble, so the Prince of Qi assigned this difficult task to Li Jue.
Li Jue advised Prince Qi, "His Majesty entrusted Huaidong to Your Highness, which is a sign of his trust in Your Highness's talent and responsibility. At present, the troops in various places are constantly rioting, and the Huai River defense line is in imminent danger. All the towns in Huaidong are waiting for Your Highness to make a decision. I urge Your Highness to devise a good plan to appease the troops in various places, otherwise, the people's hearts will be scattered, and the great cause will be lost."
Despite his debauchery, King Qi still cared about his kingdom. Li Jue's words were harsh, but true. If this matter wasn't handled properly, the soldiers might riot, coerce their generals, and surrender directly to the Northern Dynasty. The Yu Kingdom's defenses along the Huai River would crumble in an instant.
Therefore, the King of Qi asked, "Military Advisor Li speaks with such certainty, clearly confident of his plan. Please, Military Advisor Li, elaborate on how to appease the soldiers?"
Li Jue advised, "Decades of warfare and bloodshed have impoverished the people, and many soldiers are old and weary of war. I believe that if the court is truly committed to land reclamation, it would be better to weed out the old and weak from the various armies. Then, use these old and weak as the core to organize displaced people into militias specifically for land reclamation. At the same time, within the land reclamation, allocate a few acres of land for grain rations to each household. The rest should be public land of the court. The public land should be rented at 70 to 90 catties per acre. If the grain rations are fully paid, the rent for the grain ration land will be waived. Otherwise, any shortages will be made up from the output of the grain ration land. In this way, the people will be content and everyone will work hard to cultivate the land, and the Huai River region will be at peace."
King Qi was already overwhelmed by the troubles in various places, but at least Li Jue was the first to offer a solution. Whether it was clever or not, it was better than nothing.
King Qi immediately ordered: "Excellent, Military Advisor Li's method is good. Military Advisor Li, submit your memorial immediately, write it right here with me. Once it's finished, I will have it delivered directly to His Majesty. I'll leave the affairs of the Xuyi army to you; you must keep them calm and ensure the agricultural settlements proceed. I promise you that you will implement your proposed strategy. As long as you can keep the soldiers in line and allow the agricultural settlements to proceed, the court will reward you handsomely!"
Li Jue readily accepted the appointment and immediately wrote down more than a dozen suggestions. The King of Qi bestowed upon him a cup of wine to send him off and urged him to take up his post as soon as possible.
On that same day, Li Jue met Li Xuan, who was selling fish, at Yingxun Bridge.
Upon arriving at the Xuyi army camp, Li Jue did not establish his authority by killing people; instead, he entered the camp alone, armed with spears. He personally spoke with every soldier and officer, listening to their concerns and indignation, and explaining his solutions to them.
After taking their opinions into consideration, Li Jue promptly adjusted his approach: all soldiers and officers retiring from the army would receive preferential treatment in terms of ration fields according to their rank. With this preferential treatment and differentiation, the rioting soldiers all quieted down.
Afterwards, Li Jue recruited refugees while personally surveying the fields in the countryside to prevent the embezzlement of private land. He also clearly defined public fields and ration fields, distributing them fairly. As a result, the newly established Xuyi Army was convinced and actively engaged in spring plowing.
Seeing the encouraging changes in the Xuyi army, the Yu state court finally promulgated new land reclamation policies. Li Jue's version of the land reclamation movement unfolded vigorously in various places.
However, in other places without Li Jue, the land reclamation movement led by military generals was completely unreasonable. Soldiers at all levels used force to seize farmland and monopolize grain rations, among other things.
Fortunately, the military commanders were afraid of the rank-and-file soldiers who were quick to draw their weapons, and they did not compromise on the interests of these people. Therefore, only civilian uprisings occurred, and military mutinies never took place.
After the New Year, the news spread, and the soldiers at the front were horrified to discover that all the elderly and infirm who had been laid off had actually acquired land. How could they possibly sit still?
Thus, driven by these officials and soldiers, the grand land reclamation movement became a charitable activity in which the Yu Kingdom's court funded and supported these proletarian soldiers to become small and medium-sized landowners on the spot. In reality, very few places actually implemented the land reclamation policy.
Because of Li Jue's outstanding political achievements, the Jinling court issued a commendation order, and His Majesty Li Jing even specially summoned him back to the capital to report on his duties.
On the city wall of Xuyi, Li Jue felt a headache coming on from the news he had just received. He had finally achieved merit and was on the verge of promotion, only to be horrified to discover that his superior, Prince Qi, was a bastard who preyed on the people. Given Prince Qi's ways, trouble was bound to happen sooner or later. He couldn't let his future and his family's mission be ruined by such a person. He was determined to secure a transfer during his upcoming trip to Jinling.